Reality TV Stars Talk About Life in ‘The Real World’

Alumni Hall was alive with cheers and camera flashes on Saturday night as nearly 500 students greeted Keri and Kyle, two cast members of MTV’s ‘The Real World: Chicago.’
Based on their questions, students were curious about the relationship that Keri and Kyle now have, since they started off their season as more than friends, and ended it barely speaking to one another.
“Things were stretched a little beyond belief on television,” Keri said, to which Kyle replied, “We’re cool, we’re friends.”
The two actually had their significant others with them at the event. Keri announced that she is engaged, and Kyle’s girlfriend, Lori, who was one of the seven strangers on
The Real World’s Back to New York season, sat in the audience while keeping a low profile.
The cast members were asked a lot of questions relating to whether or not they were portrayed on the show as they really are. Keri said she felt as though the good things about everyone were not shown.
“They [the production team] would choose one part of your personality and they would amplify it,” she said.
Kyle compared being on the show to “throwing your entire being into a shoebox and sending it out to the entire world.”
Another point that the cast members made was that the show is not shown in chronological order. This placed certain limitations on them.
For example, Kyle said that in their contracts, the cast members had to agree not to make any changes to their physical appearance. He said this even included changing your hairstyle.
As for what was included in the show, both Keri and Kyle said that they were not worried about what their family and friends would think of them because they said they already know them.
However, Kyle said that he is frequently asked if he gets “wierded out” about everyone that knows him.
Both he and Keri responded simultaneously with “they don’t,” adding that because so much is left out of the show, it is impossible to really know the cast members.
One student asked Keri and Kyle about being in Chicago on Sept. 11. According to Keri, the experience was both a blessing and a curse.
She said it was a blessing because the cast could only watch television for a few days. Real World houses are not allowed to have televisions or radios, but because of the major news on that day, the production made an exception.
Having the television for only a few days prevented the cast from having to see the images played over and over again, according to Keri.
She said the day was a curse because of the horror that the terrorists created.
Now that the show has ended, Keri and Kyle have gone on to other things. Keri said that she is currently living in San Francisco and is going to finish her last semester of college.
Kyle said he is living in Los Angeles and is pursuing a career in acting.
Keri and Kyle had different responses when asked if they would do The Real World again. Kyle said he definitely would, but Keri said she would not.
“Now I’m at a different place,” she said. “I’m past that.”
The event, sponsored by the Social Programming Board, seemed to be a hit among students.
“I think it’s great that SPB arranges this type of activity for the students,” said Annie Paquette, 20, a junior psychology major.
Freshman Dawn Laliberte, 18, said she was impressed with how nice Keri and Kyle were.
“They seemed very friendly, like regular people,” she said.
They offered advice to students who might be interested in trying out for the show.
“Go to an open casting call,” said Keri.
“Be brutally honest,” said Kyle.
Keri and Kyle said they had a good experience at Quinnipiac.
Keri thanked the students for having her, and in an interview before the lecture, Kyle said, “This seriously is the best set-up I’ve ever had at any college or university. Make sure that makes it to the print.”
He did have one question to ask, though. “What’s up with no football team?”